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Blessed be those who didn't have to go through the trouble of learning the English language. Some might say that learning Japanese or Icelandic might be the most difficult task out there, but even the most complicated aspects of those languages have some kind of logic behind them. English grammar and the language itself, on the other hand, has some truly nonsensical characteristics to it and a plethora of arbitrary rules.

Those with English as their native language never have to consciously work through the kinks of spelling out Wednesday or why writers write, but fingers don't fing and grocers don't groce. Learning English as a secondary language is a real minefield once you figure out the basic grammar rules and step into more specific areas. And these people decided to point some of the most confusing things out there to prove their point. English is a weird language and at times makes no sense whatsoever, especially for a language that is so widespread.

#1

English-Language-Logic-No-Sense

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Orillion
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who's up for the defenestration of Donald Trump. I say we do it overmorrow.

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To be fair, many linguists would easily find a logical answer to most of the problems presented in these messages, as English language has a lot of nuances (like words being borrowed from Latin and Greek, or the fact that some words had their origins lost or they ceased to be used in spoken language). However, that doesn't mean that they still don't fail to confuse people trying to learn the language, as even the most sound explanation might seem nonsensical when the original problem could be solved by, well... changing the language? Ah, let's leave this for the linguists to figure out and non-native speakers to be confused about, right?

#6

English Nonsense

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SykesDaMan
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It took me a while to remember which one is positive and which one is negative between horriffic and terrfic...

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#10

English Nonsense

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So Dou
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have the exact same word in french and with the same meaning ... others meaning too ;)

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#14

English-Language-Logic-No-Sense

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Artex Gorilla
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Brits also use 'Quite' in a sarcastic manner if agreeing with someone (who they don't agree with).

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#20

English Nonsense

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Aileen
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4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve also heard, “I before E except when your feisty foreign neighbor Keith leisurely receives eight counterfeit beige sleighs from caffeinated atheist weightlifters. Weird.”

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#22

English Nonsense

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Daria B
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Grammatically, that's correct. Culturally, however, hmmmh.... Only if you have some good stamina. ♥

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Rob Chapman
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"A ship shipping ship shipping shipping ships" is also a completely acceptable sentence.

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rhyan lumilay
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country we use house chores for housework and assignment instead of home-work I don't know maybe to be not confused with house and home.

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Michael Capriola Jr.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"The woman's occupation was listed as 'homemaker.' I assume she worked in construction."

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Linda Robinett
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Note, English as a native language and those who are learning it. A house is a building. A home is where you live. So I can have a house that is empty, it is no body's home. I can live under the overpass with other homeless people (we are starting to use phrases such as the unsheltered because under the over pass is their home) and their home is under that overpass. So housework is work I am doing for my physical building. Home work is work that I take homework to my home (It could be a homeless shelter or the couch I am surfing on) to do outside the class work.

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nala simba
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is "light house keeping" versus "lighthouse keeping?"

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Aliaa Hwijah
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

House work. House is something that you can touch and feel and see and that is why its in my believe what it is; cleaning, washing...etc. home is more like .. you know something i give it up. I do not know why it means what it means , i could do my homework at a caffe then shall i call it caffework? Or in the bus then call it buswork or in a public toilet then call it ptw? Only God and the crazy ones that created it know

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Shelli Perez Lorton
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What am I missing? You take work home, it’s homework. You work in the house, it’s housework.

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Andrea Goble
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a bit weird because 'housework' and 'homework' should be the same thing, but they're two very different tasks.

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Erica Bea
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's technically correct, but I hate using the same word or one that sounds similar within a few sentences of each other personally.

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Cyril Haidon
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can we also take a minute to focus on the expression "every other year"? Never understood that fully. Why not simply say every two years? What's the meaning of it? Not this year but the other? But in that case, every time you advance a year, the next year becomes "not this one but the other" meaning that it happens every year FUUUUUUUUUU......!

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#25

English-Language-Logic-No-Sense

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Aldhissla VargTimmen
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a broadcasted spelling competition for the Dutch language as well ^^ Dutch is easier though, makes more sense :)

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#27

English Nonsense

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Kaisu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I hear someone say "the other day", I assume it's something within a month. I never think someone would mean something they did like a year ago

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#28

English Nonsense

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Full Name
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder if uncovered wagons were the first form of mass transportation so you literally were "on" it.

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#30

English Nonsense

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George Utley
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fridge is a slang shortening of one of the original refrigerators - Fridgidaire...

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#31

English-Language-Logic-No-Sense

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Phil Boswell
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same way that the sentence "I never said she stole all my money" takes on a completely different meaning depending upon which particular word you emphasise…

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#32

English Nonsense

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Kaisu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because it has nothing to do with the words man/woman and comes from Latin humanus

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#36

English Nonsense

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Kaisu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because "Philippines" is in English while "Filipino/Filipina" is Spanish. No need to stress out. In Spanish the country is Filipinas. All is well, they're just words in two different languages!

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#38

English Nonsense

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#40

English-Language-Logic-No-Sense

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Piou
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You mean man's laughter isn't the same as manslaughter? Hmmm maybe I should reconsider my hobbies

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